"A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades." <[email protected]> on Sunday, September 10, 2006 at 11:36 am -0500 wrote: >Does everyone hit all the genres? For example, we have to teach >expository, >persuasive, narrative, and poetry. Do you get all of those in? And how? Do >you have strugglers in your class? Are you self contained or block >scheduling? How do you teach specific strategies to the class? Do you do >it >individually or in small groups? > Hi!
Everyone does hit all the genres, including the ones you listed. They do two types of exposition, compare-contrast and literary analysis. They also collaborate in writing a play, which they then perform through the Theatre 7 class. Poetry and theatre units are pre-designed for late February and early April. As for the existence of strugglers in my class, I guess I'd have to say yes and no. I've had students with fairly significant learning differences regarding both reading and writing (one girl this year hasn't yet read a book on her own; one girl two years ago had never written a paragraph on her own), but all of them have been very smart, motivated, hard-working kids with loving, supportive homes and experienced, private tutors. So it is a legitimate struggle for them, but the odds are very much on their side. I know they they, and I as their teacher, are lucky. Our schedule is kind of odd; I'll try to keep it simple. We have two block periods in the morning separated by a period used either for school meetings (middle school only on Mondays, grades 7-12 on Thursdays) or for advisory meetings (Tue., Thu., Fri.). Those blocks are used for Humanities or for Math/Science. Our afternoon classes are single period and comprise language, vocal and instrumental music (each meets twice a week), Visual Arts/Health/Theatre (one course each trimester), and a study hall (with the option of joining upper school Chorus or Big Band). They also have dance once a week in place of study hall (Chorus and Big Band kids do this on Tuesday, the one day Chorus and Big Band don't meet). Most of the time, I teach specific strategies to the class as a group, and then reinforce them as needed on an individual basis. As much as possible, I try to have them come up with checklists of good writing practices based on model writing. Reading strategies - let's just say I'm good at pointing out when kids use them spontaneously, but I need to be much more consistent in my instruction. Take care, Bill Ivey Stoneleigh-Burnham School _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org.
